Definition of "wormwood"

wormwood

/ˈwə(ɹ)m.wʊd/

noun
countable and uncountable, plural wormwoods
1. An intensely bitter herb (Artemisia absinthium and similar plants in genus Artemisia) used in medicine, in the production of absinthe and vermouth, and as a tonic.
  Quotations
  But as I said, / When it did taste the wormwood on the nipple / Of my dug and felt it bitter, pretty fool, / To see it tetchy and fall out with the dug!
  c. 1591–1595 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Romeo and Ivliet”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, [Act I, scene iii (the nurse's monologue)]
  Therefore thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel; Behold, I will feed them, even this people, with wormwood, and give them water of gall to drink.
  1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], Jeremiah 9:15
  Blue skippers in sunny hours ope and shutWhere wormwood and grunsel flowers by the cart ruts […]
  c. 1864, John Clare, We passed by green closes
  Cliff took two glasses and filled one with wineAnd one with wormwood.
  1897, Edwin Arlington Robinson, “Cliff Klingenhagen”, in Children of the Night
2. (figurative) Something that causes bitterness or affliction; a cause of mortification or vexation.
  Quotations
  The irony of this reply was wormwood to Zeluco; he fell into a gloomy fit of musing, and made no farther inquiry […] .
  1789, John Moore, Zeluco, Valancourt, published 2008, page 57

Definition of "wormwood"

wormwood

noun

Quotations

Quotations